Fiscal Note
The COPS Hiring grant would pay 60% of the salary and fringe benefit costs of seven entry-level police officers for three years for a total of $875,000. The City would match 40% of the costs for a total of $578,829. For 2017, the positions would begin with the September Academy and cost the City $36,099. The City would also spend $65,443 for initial issue uniforms, equipment and supplies for a total 2017 cost of $101,542.
The terms of the grant would require the City to maintain its authorized strength for the three grant years plus one additional year. Total estimated City costs for 2017-2020 (including September - December in 2020 after the grant ends) are $840,589 and would need to be included in the Department’s operating budgets. Annual ongoing costs for 2021 and beyond are estimated to be $552,870.
The grant, if awarded, also would create a new sergeant position to begin in January 2018. The incremental cost of promoting a senior police officer to sergeant would be: $8,003 in 2018; $9,651 in 2019; and $10,412 in 2020 for a total cost of $28,066. These costs would be covered by the City.
$775,146 Personnel (2017 = $36,099; 2018 = $168,950; 2019 = $189,879; 2020 = $380,218)
$ 65,443 Initial Issue Uniform, Work Supplies and Equipment (2017)
$840,589 Total City Costs (2017-2020) 49%
$875,000 Total Grant-Covered Personnel Costs (2017-2020) 51%
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SUBSTITUTE - Authorizing the Madison Police Department to apply for and accept a FY2016 COPS Hiring grant of $875,000 for the purpose of hiring seven police officers to expand community policing, mental health, neighborhood, gang, outreach and education efforts in the new Midtown District when it becomes operational in 2018
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WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has issued a solicitation for grant applications to hire law enforcement personnel in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts, with a special focus on building trust; and
WHEREAS, this grant, if awarded, will cover 60 percent of the approved entry-level salary and fringe benefits of each newly-hired full-time sworn career law enforcement officer over three years (36 months); and
WHEREAS, the Madison Police Department plans to submit a request for funding a total of seven (7) additional officer positions under the terms of this grant; and
WHEREAS, the positions would then be assigned to the new Midtown District, which is scheduled to open in January 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Midtown District will reduce the size of the West District, which currently serves about 83,000 people--twice as many as other districts--and absorb the Town of Madison annexation; and
WHEREAS, the success of the Department’s community policing efforts makes it imperative to provide Midtown District residents with the same level of services as in the Department’s five other districts; and
WHEREAS, the new Midtown District positions would create a four-person Community Policing Team (CPT), a Mental Health Unit (MHU) Officer, a Crime Prevention Gang Unit (CPGU) Officer and a Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) to ensure that the Midtown District provides the same equitable community policing and specialized services to residents as the Department’s other districts; and
WHEREAS, the Department’s community policing efforts seek to address racial disparity in arrests and improve trust and perception of fairness through procedural justice, community outreach and problem solving; and
WHEREAS, the Department’s problem-oriented policing focus searches for solutions to social and community issues by working with residents and community organizations; and
WHEREAS, including these new positions in the 2017 fall recruit class of the Police Training Academy will allow six experienced officers to be assigned to these new Midtown District community policing positions in June 2018 (when the recruit class graduates); and
WHEREAS, one grant-funded position would be used to promote a senior officer to sergeant in January 2018 and who would lead the Midtown District CPT.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Madison Police Department is authorized to apply for, and the Mayor and Chief of Police to accept, a FY2016 COPS Hiring grant for seven additional commissioned law enforcement officers.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the grant application will indicate that the Department will increase its commissioned strength by seven (7) positions to create community policing positions for the Midtown District, making its community policing capacity equitable with other districts;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the new Midtown District positions will be assigned as follows: three officers and one promoted sergeant to a new Community Policing Team, one Mental Health Unit Officer, one Crime Prevention Gang Unit Officer and one Neighborhood Resource Officer; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Department will include funding for the positions in its 2017 through 2020 operating budgets and that those positions will continue to be funded in 2021, as required by terms of the grant, if award awarded and accepted.